Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Local residents filled the Caldwell Public Library last night to honor nature photographer Janet Markman, whose work is on exhibit in the Library during the month of June. New Jersey’s Angels:
With & Without Wings is her latest collection of stunning photographs.Mrs. Markman is the official photographer for the Borough of Caldwell, but her passion is her nature photography.

Though raised in New York City,
Markman has been a resident of Caldwell for more than 17 years. She
says she has always been fascinated with nature, and relatively recently
realized her true creative passion: observing and photographing birds.
Since then, her art has expanded to include other flying creatures,
notably butterflies and moths, as well as trees, flowers, landscapes and
other animals.

We like to say that the Caldwell Library is the heart of our town, but that heart can't beat without the participation of our patrons. We appreciate the generous spirit of people like Mrs. Markman, who give their time and talents to the Library, so that we can continue to bring people quality exhibits and programming.It was truly gratifying to see the number of people who turned out for this event: area residents, Mayor Dassing and our council members, local businesspeople, and many others who came to show their appreciation for Mrs. Markman and our Library. Mr. & Mrs. Markman are known for their philanthropic spirit and their support of many local causes.

Please stop by this month, take a look at this beautiful exhibit, and plan to return for some of our upcoming summer programs. When you stop by, make sure to sign Mrs. Markman's guest book.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Every year the publishing industry sponsors Book Expo America at the Javits Center in NYC. The show started out as a way for book sellers to connect with the publishing industry, but publishers soon realized that networking with librarians was a great way to get their information out to the public.

Book Expo is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. In the past, it's been held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC, but has found a permanent home in NYC. The publishing industry wants librarians to attend Book Expo, not just to sell us books, but to help us disseminate current information and future trends to our patrons. In this year's Day of Dialog, both Library Journal and School Library Journal provided librarian attendees with workshops designed to provide continuing education credits.

Librarians were able to participate in topics on ebooks, upcoming book buzz, author breakfasts, and collection development. Of course, all conference attendees are able to meet and greet various authors who are on hand to autograph their books. This year a number of authors signed books for the Caldwell Public Library, including: Kate Workman (The Mom 100 Cookbook), Kate Hopper (Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers), Lisa Morrone (Sleep Well Again), Carmine Gallo (The Apple Experience), and Terry Baker Mulligan (Sugar Hill - Where the Sun Rose Over Harlem). The Children's Room received a copy of It's a Big World, Little Pig! signed by Kristi Yamaguchi. Young Adult authors Rachel Vincent and Michael Dahl also signed copies of their books for our patrons. Robin Roberts signed an audio book copy of My Story, My Song, the book written with her Mother, Lucimarian Roberts.

One theme came up time and again when talking with the authors I met: all of them had fond memories of the local public libraries. As soon as I asked them to sign the books to the Caldwell Public Library, they would light up and speak about what it was like to go to the library when they were a child, or tell a story about how a reference librarian helped them with research.

It's great to know that the publishing industry is supportive of a continued dialog with librarians, and I am looking forward to providing our patrons with a wide variety of new materials and ideas.

OUR MISSION

"The Caldwell Public Library's mission is to provide our diverse community with a wide array of literary, cultural, historical, educational and social resources through personal service and innovative programs utilizing a range of learning technologies in a welcoming environment." - Adopted by Caldwell Public Library Board of Trustees on May 18, 2006